North Korea Ends Armistice with South

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- North Korea says it is ending the armistice agreement that led to the end of the Korean War in 1953.

“For more than 60 years this agreement has ensured peace and stability on the Peninsula,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Monday. “So it's concerning to us when any signatory to a mutual agreement makes a public statement declaring that they are pulling out of it.”

The news comes on the same day U.S. and South Korean forces began military exercises in the region. Nuland made clear that there was nothing surprising or new about these maneuvers.

“These are joint exercises that we have every single year,” she said. “They are defense-oriented. They're designed to enhance the readiness and the ability to respond of U.S. and R.O.K. forces to any provocations. We're completely transparent about them.”

South Korea, Nuland said, can still count on continued U.S. support and protection.